1. Why Are We Not Converting The World?
3/20/2011 am
Why Are We Not Converting The World?
Matthew 9:35-38
Micky Galloway

2. God’s People Have Responsibility Teach The Gospel To The Lost
Great Commission
Matt 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mark 16:15-16
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be damned.

3. God’s People Have Responsibility Teach The Gospel To The Lost
Church is Pillar & Ground of Truth
1 Timothy 3:15
15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

4. God’s People Have Responsibility Teach The Gospel To The Lost
Early Disciples Spread the Word
Acts 8:4
4 They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word.
Acts 5:28
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us

5. Acts 11:19-20
19 They therefore that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none save only the Jews.
20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

6. God’s People Have Responsibility Teach The Gospel To The Lost
Great Commission
Church is Pillar & Ground of Truth
Early Disciples Spread the Word
We Ought To Be Working To
Convert The World!

7. Ways We Can Reach The World
Gospel Meeting
Computer Classes
Home Bible Studies
Tracts & Tapes, CD’s
Special Series
Bring Others to Regular Services

8. Why Are We Not Converting The World?
Preaching The Gospel

9. World Is Not Interested In The Gospel
Why such little interest?
Cares of the world (Luke 8:14; Philippians 2:21)
Gospel demands changes – love darkness (John 3:19)
False sense of security (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11)
Not popular (Matthew 7:13-14; John 1:11-12; 6:66)

10. World Is Not Interested In The Gospel
Our job – not to convert, but teach
Command is to teach (Mark 16:15)
Even if don’t listen – done our job (Ezekiel 3:16-21)
Jesus taught – many turned away (John 1:11-12)
Crowds rejected the apostles (Acts 13:45; 17:32)

11. World Is Not Interested In The Gospel
The “unlikely” just may listen & obey
Religious/Gentile – Cornelius (Acts 10)
Non-Religious – Simon (Acts 8:9-13)
Worldly – Corinthians (Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
Ignorant – Jews (Acts 2:23; 3:17)
Persecutor – Saul (Acts 8:3; 9:1-2; 1 Timothy 1:15; Acts 22:12-16)
Politician – Jailor (Acts 16:25-33)

12. Don’t View The World As Lost
World is lost in sin
All men are sinners (Romans 3:9, 23)
Sin separates from God (Isaiah 59:1-2)
If die in sin – hell fire (Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
Reason Jesus came to earth (Luke 19:10)
Anyone who has not obeyed the gospel is lost!

13. Don’t View The World As Lost May be because our focus is on the
World is lost in sin
How we view people of the world
Good people
Believe different than we do (Galatians 1:6-9)
Focus on friendship, likeable, good moral qualities
Little or no attention to the fact – they are LOST!
May be because our focus is on the
here and now!

14. Don’t View The World As Lost
Motivated to greater evangelism
If viewed the people from - spiritual condition (Ephesians 2:1-2)
If view them without hope (Ephesians 2:12)
If view them on road to eternal separation from God (Revelation 21:8)

15. Message Preached Is Not Redemption
Gospel Message – Redemption / Salvation
Power unto salvation (Romans 1:16-17)
How we are saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
Peter’s sermon – salvation from sin (Acts 2)
Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill – salvation (Acts 17:22-31)

16. Message Preached Is Not Redemption
Gospel Message – Redemption / Salvation
Peter’s sermon to Gentiles (Acts 10:34-48)
Paul’s Sermon in Antioch on 1st Journey (Acts 13:16-41)
Books like Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, etc. have themes about salvation.

17. Message Preached Is Not Redemption
Gospel Demands Change of Life
Repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30-31)
Stop & cease sin (Romans 6)
Give up old religion (1 Thessalonians 1:9)
Start doing things to serve God (Acts 26:17-20)

18. Message Preached Is Not Redemption
Message Has Shifted - Social
More on relationships
How to be a better person
“Feel Good,” “motivational” preaching
Topics: Depression, Coping, Aging, Relationships, etc.

19. The Social Gospel: Church Kitchen Fellowship Hall Ball Teams
Recreation Programs
Day Care Centers/ Preschools
Gimmicks To Draw Crowds
Etc…

23. The Social Gospel
NOTE: Social activities, recreation, and benevolence were never offered in NT days as the means by which to get people to become Christians. THE GOSPEL IS GOD'S DRAWING POWER BY WHICH TO CALL MEN. (2 Thessalonians 2:14; Romans 1:16)
Are these things worthy of the blood of Jesus Christ? cf. Ephesians 5:25; Acts 20:28

24. The "social gospel" is "another gospel." cf. Galatians 1:8-9
The gospel of Christ is to save the soul for eternity … The social gospel calls for the improvement of social conditions for the here and now.
The gospel of Christ treats the disease while the social gospel treats only the symptoms.
The gospel of Christ seeks to convert people to Christ; the later simply to a better & more pleasant way of life.

25. The "social gospel" is "another gospel." cf. Galatians 1:8-9
The gospel of Christ seeks to make society better by making Christians while the social gospel seeks to make Christians through social adjustments.
For example, educators are urged to combat social diseases, unwed motherhood, and other related problems by teaching and making arrangements for "safe sex," whereas the gospel of Christ simply says "Flee fornication."

26. The "social gospel" is "another gospel". cf. Galatians 1:8-9
The standard of authority for each is also different.
For the gospel of Christ, it is the Scripture, the wisdom of God;
For the social gospel it is human wisdom (cf. James 3:13-17; 1 Corinthians 1:20-25)

27. Content To “Keep House”
What is meant by “keeping house”?
Assemble, worship – do little more
Maintain “status quo”
Thinking: We have a church – place to worship – so we meet Sunday & Wednesday do nothing more.

28. Content To “Keep House”
Why are we content?
Think our mission to merely show up at worship
View church as a religious club

29. Content To “Keep House”
A Church that didn’t keep house
Church at Antioch
in Syria
Acts First evangelistic tour of Paul
Acts Second evangelistic tour of Paul
Acts Third evangelistic tour of Paul

30. Fear Of Offending & Alienating Others
Gospel will offend (Matthew 10:34ff; Acts 13:45-48)
Gospel is distinctive & narrow (1 John 4:1, 6)
Gospel convicts world of sin (John 16:8; Acts 2:37)

31. Fear Of Offending & Alienating Others
Fear of making folks mad – upsetting them
Uncomfortable when bringing a friend and sermon deals with …
Afraid to “turn them off” or they will dislike us

32. Fear Of Offending & Alienating Others
Fear of Alienating a friend
Gospel sometimes will alienate people (Matthew 10:34ff)
If try to convert friend or family – could cause a strain
So, deem it not worth the risk (cf. Luke 16:28)

33. Why We Are Not Converting The World
World Is Not Interested In The Gospel
Don’t View The World As Lost
Message Preached Is Not Redemption
Content To “Keep House”
Fear Of Offending & Alienating Others

34. What Can We Do? Become more evangelistic
Try to reach family, friends with gospel
Use Bible materials
Set up Home Bible Studies
Bring someone to a Gospel Meeting
Bring someone to a special class or service
Talk to others about Bible questions